Super League’s Nightmare Team of 2024 includes FOUR from Hull FC and two from Castleford Tigers
From left to right: David Fusitu'a, Waqa Blake and Jayden Okunbor all feature in our 'anti' 2024 Super League Dream Team
It’s almost time for the Super League Dream Team to be announced, but what if there was one quite the opposite? One made up of players who have had a below par 2024.
Well, here’s ours…
1. Luke Hooley (Castleford Tigers)
Cas brought Hooley in from Leeds in the off-season and handed him their #1 shirt, but the full-back has played in just eight Super League games this season for the Tigers, scoring one try in the process.
He’s spent time out on loan/dual-registration in the Championship with both Featherstone Rovers and Batley Bulldogs, and has recently played centre for the Fords due to the impressive mid-season arrival of Tex Hoy.
2. David Fusitu’a (Leeds Rhinos)
Fusitu’a‘s exit from Leeds has recently been announced, and after the couple of injury-hit years he’s had at Headingley, the club’s decision to let him go really doesn’t come as a surprise.
This season alone, the winger has played only 11 games for the Rhinos – notching three tries. Even when fit, he’s not been consistent enough for Brad Arthur’s side.
3. Waqa Blake (St Helens)
For whatever reason, this move just hasn’t worked out as much as both parties would’ve been hoping for at the start of this year given the fact that Blake arrived as a player who had played more than 150 games in the NRL.
The Fiji international was only handed a one-year deal by the Red V and an official decision on his future has yet to be made. Regardless of whether he’s been in the centres or on a wing, he’s underperformed despite a couple of decent games earlier on in the campaign.
4. Cam Scott (Hull FC)
Six of Scott’s 12 appearances for Hull this year prior to getting injured saw him start in the centres, but struggled to get his season going before being sidelined with injury.
The 24-year-old’s move to Wakefield Trinity for 2025 was confirmed, and soon after, he tore his hamstring. Bringing an end to his season, that also brought an end to his time at the MKM Stadium – an unwanted ending.
But make no mistake about it, Scott is a talent and possesses a number of key qualities, so he’ll be hoping to hit the ground running with Trinity in 2025.
5. David Nofoaluma (Salford Red Devils)
Nofoaluma will be a quiz question answer in years to come. He arrived at Salford on the eve of the Super League season as the man that was meant to replace club legend Ken Sio.
Instead, after just two appearances, the Samoa international returned Down Under. Labelling his stay as ‘forgettable’ would be kind.
6. Ben Reynolds (Hull KR)
We doubt there’s a single player who’s had a stranger year than Reynolds, who now finally appears to be settled back at Featherstone. Hull KR signed the half-back from Fev a couple of weeks into the new Super League season, and he was gone in early July, re-joining Championship heavyweights Fev.
What’s even more surprising is that in the four-and-a-bit months he spent as a Robin, he made just two appearances for Willie Peters’ side, spending most of his time contracted at Sewell Group Craven Park actually across the city on loan at Hull FC.
7. Fa’amanu Brown (Hull FC)
Brown arrived from the NRL as a high-profile recruit in the off-season, made eight appearances for Hull and returned Down Under on compassionate grounds, with the Airlie Birds granting him a release to do so.
The Samoa and New Zealand international managed three tries in a struggling FC side, but the playmaker never seemed settled – and arguably his most memorable moment in a Black and White jersey was his red card at Warrington Wolves, which was later labelled an incorrect decision to send him off.
8. Franklin Pele (Hull FC)
Very similar can be said for Pele, who was another of Hull’s NRL recruits ahead of 2024. As we approach the end of the season, he’s now turning out in the Championship with Bradford Bulls, where he is thriving with Eamon O’Carroll’s side.
The prop also made eight appearances for FC, and spent some time on loan at York, before the Black and Whites terminated his contract.
9. Cade Cust (Salford Red Devils)
Cust appeared an exciting signing for Salford when they brought him in during the off-season, but he has never really got going in a Red Devils shirt.
The Australian has spent time sidelined with injury this season, scoring just one try in 12 appearances for Paul Rowley’s side. He’ll be hoping for a big year in 2025 with his new club Hull FC.
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10. Albert Vete (Castleford Tigers)
Vete’s first year at Cas in 2023 was underwhelming, spending the back end of that campaign out on loan in League 1 with Doncaster, and the short time he had at The Jungle this season didn’t produce much better results.
The former Tonga international managed just four appearances for the Tigers this term, all of which coming from the bench. One of those came against Batley in the Challenge Cup, and he was released by the club not long after that, returning Down Under.
11. Jayden Okunbor (Hull FC)
The fourth and final Hull inclusion in this ‘nightmare 13’ comes in the shape of Okunbor, who is now playing alongside Pele in the Championship at Bradford having also left FC with just eight appearances in their colours to his name. It must be noted that he has impressed in the Championship since linking up with the Bulls.
The 27-year-old arrived at the MKM Stadium with just shy of 50 NRL appearances to his name, and appeared he could be a decent pick up: but again, it’s a move that just didn’t work out for one reason or another.
12. Andre Savelio (Huddersfield Giants)
Savelio’s start to life at Huddersfield was a slow one, spending a few months sidelined with concussion-related issues. We’re not going to criticise him for that at all, but what he’s produced since being able to play has been below par compared to what we know he can produce.
Sent off twice in his first four appearances for the Giants, there has been a bit of an improvement in the weeks since then, but nowhere near what he’s capable of. Head coach Luke Robinson will expect better from him heading into 2025.
There’s no doubting Savelio’s ability. He has been an impressive back-rower in Super League over the years and is a destructive ball carrier who can run a strong line and hit hard in defence, so he just needs to get back to that next season under Robinson.
13. Sio Siua Taukeiaho (Catalans Dragons)
Rounding this 13 off is a man who never actually made an appearance this year, but still managed to get his contract terminated in Taukeiaho.
If it hadn’t been for an injury discovered during a medical, he’d have been a Canterbury Bulldogs player in 2024, but the Dragons saw the ex-New Zealand and Tonga international return after that move had fallen through and committed to helping him get back fit.
That was until he – alongside team-mates Jayden Nikorima and Damel Diakhate – reportedly skipped training to attend a music concert in London, with all three of their contracts being terminated shortly after that incident. We’ve no idea what Taukeiaho is up to now, but 10 appearances in two seasons rounds off a pretty unforgettable spell in Super League.
